Does anyone have any tips to give me for shooting a full moon? I know I need to use my tripod but from there I am not sure what shutter speed and what aperature setting to use with my 300 mm lens. I've read most of the stuff on the web and I am still a bit confused.

Spot meter off it and shoot - bracket if you're not sure. It's bright so a full moon on a clear night undimmed by haze or cloud will be about F/8 at 1 to 1/2 sec at ISO100. An aperture of around f/8 will probably be where your lens performs best (i.e. sharper) rather than wide open. Depth of field isn't the concern.

I have been able to manage exposure, but have found getting tack sharp focus a challenge. It turns out there is a whole technology of getting good focus for moon photos. However, out of five or so shots with 10D + 70-200 f/2.8 IS + 1.4 extender at 200 mm---handheld so that IS can do its thing, I manage to get a good one.

I have been able to manage exposure, but have found getting tack sharp focus a challenge. It turns out there is a whole technology of getting good focus for moon photos.

Not only that, but atmospheric disturbances can fool you into thinking that an otherwise tack sharp image isn't. I've had a series of moon photos where there's noticeable difference in sharpness, and that's at 135mm with the 28-135mm IS.

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However, out of five or so shots with 10D + 70-200 f/2.8 IS + 1.4 extender at 200 mm---handheld so that IS can do its thing, I manage to get a good one.

The IS on the 70-200 works on a tripod, too. It even works quite well, in my experience.

I think (but am not expert) that the ture "infinity" setting varies, depending on ambient temperature of the lens and perhaps atmospheric disturbances. I use autofocus; my vision is not sharp enough for manual focus.

pobrien3, the exposure you give is about 8 stops greater than the basic daylight. Could you be giving an exposure for a moonlit landscape instead of the moon iself?

A 1 degree spot meter will read more than the moon (black space around it). The reading could result in over exposure to make the black space plus the moon average to gray.

We had a full moon when I read this post so I stuck a 300mm lens on my camera, went outside and took a spot reading, and got a slightly overexposed shot at the settings I gave. Easily adjusted in ACR though as no pixels were blown out.

I got the same reading on my camera and on a Sekonic meter set to spot.

I am also curious about the large exposure differences I see and what pobrien3 gets. pobrien3, is the moon a white without detail disc or can you see details. With a 300mm lens, the moon is a 2.75mm disc on the sensor. This may be too small to show blown highlights.

I am also curious about the large exposure differences I see and what pobrien3 gets. pobrien3, is the moon a white without detail disc or can you see details. With a 300mm lens, the moon is a 2.75mm disc on the sensor. This may be too small to show blown highlights.

I'm also curious about the exposure differential.

Take this image, for instance (I know it's not very good, but never mind that):

Jan, your image looks pretty well exposed. The exposure you give is basic daylight plus 2 stops. A polarizer, if used, would bring that to about BDE+1/2 stop. A half stop less exposure would seem good also.

Although the "Sunny 16" rule makes perfectly good sense, in my experience, when photographing the moon, it is better to open up about two stops. That is, shoot the moon at "Moony 8" and 1/ISO for the shutter speed. (And bracket exposure while wearing both belt and suspenders.)